Submarines of the United States Navy are built in classes, using a single design for a number of boats. Minor variations occur as improvements are incorporated into the design, so later boats of a class may be more capable than earlier. Also, boats are modified, sometimes extensively, while in service, creating departures from the class standard. However, in general, all boats of a class are noticeably similar.
Experimental use: an example is , which used an unprecedented hull design. In this list such single boat "classes" are marked with "(unique)".
Pre–World War I
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"<!-- class="win="center" |Last comm. !! class="unsortable" width=65% |Notes -->
|+Pre–World War I
!! width=8%|Class name !! width=8%|No. !! width=8%|Laid down !! width=8%|Last comm. !! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
| || 1 || 1861 || 1862 || First submarine in the U.S. Navy. Purpose was to protect wooden ships against ironclads.
|-
| || 1 || 1896 || 1900 || 5 others were made; only entered the U.S. Navy as it was the first officially commissioned submarine purchased on 11 April 1900.
|-
| || 7 || 1900 || 1903 || Later renamed A class in November 1911, when Navy stopped naming submarines. Essentially enlarged, more powerful Holland.
|-
| Viper || 3 || 1905 || 1907 || Last in series of Holland-like submarines. Later renamed to B class.
|-
| Octopus || 5 || 1905 || 1910 || Designed by Lawrence York Spear. Later renamed to C class.
|-
| Narwhal || 3 || 1908 || 1910 || Later renamed to D class. Designed to survive flooding in one compartment.
|-
| E || 2 || 1909 || 1912 || First US Navy diesel-powered submarine. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape.
|-
| F || 4 || 1909 || 1913 || In 1920, the class was designated SS-20–SS-23.
|-
| G || 4 || 1909 || 1914 || Used gasoline engine. set the submerged depth record in 1915, . was given the number 19½ because SS- numbers were given after her decommissioning; she was between SS-19 & SS-20.
|-
| H || 9 || 1911 || 1918 || 3 originally ordered by U.S. Navy. 17 ordered by the Imperial Russian Navy, 11 delivered. Other 6 bought by U.S. Navy. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape.
|-
| K || 8 || 1912 || 1912 || Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. , , , were the first U.S. submarines to see action in World War I.
|-
| L || 11 || 1914 || 1918 || The first US submarines with a deck gun. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Designed for coastal defense.
|-
| || 1 || 1914 || 1918 || Double-hull design. Twenty percent larger than the K class. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Considered failure by the submarine community.
|-
| N || 7 || 1915 || 1918 || Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. Used for coastal patrol.
|-
| O || 16 || 1916 || 1918 || Each cost $550,000. First submarines with reliable diesel engines. Every man had his own berth and locker. Known as "pig boats", or "boats", due to foul living quarters and unusual hull shape. O-11 through O-16 (built by Lake Torpedo Boat Company) also known as the "modified O-class". Modified boats proved to be disappointing and were scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925.
|-
| || 3 || 1916 || 1922 || Later renamed T class. Designed for at , but performed at . Prototype "fleet submarines"—submarines fast enough () to travel with battleships. Twice the size of any concurrent or past U.S. submarine. A poor tandem engine design caused the boats to be decommissioned by 1923 and scrapped in 1930.
|}
World War I
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|+World War I
!! width=8%|Class name !! width=8%|No. !! width=8%|Laid down !! width=8%|Last comm. !! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
| R || 20 || 1917 || 1918 || Larger conning tower to serve as commanding officer's battle station. Fired Mark 10 torpedoes and traveled at .
|-
| R-21 || 7 || 1917 || 1919 || Designed by Simon Lake. Generally similar to R class, but smaller and reverted to 18-inch torpedo tubes. Scrapped in 1930; Lake went out of business in 1925.
|-
| S || 51 || 1917 || 1922 || The S class is subdivided into four groups of different designs.
|}
Interwar
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|+Interwar
!Class name !! No. !! width=151|First ship laid down !! width=178|Last ship commissioned !! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
| Barracuda || 3 || and<br/><br/>20 October 1921 || <br/>22 May 1926 ||
|-
| || 1 || 1 May 1925 || 2 April 1928 || Unique submarine; mine-laying submarine
|-
| || 2 || <br/>10 May 1927 || <br/>1 July 1930 ||
|-
| || 1 || 14 June 1930 || 1 June 1932 || Unique submarine
|-
| || 2 || <br/>7 October 1931 || <br/>8 June 1934 ||
|-
| Porpoise || 10 || <br/>24 October 1933 || <br/>12 June 1937 ||
|-
| || 6 || <br/>15 April 1936 || <br/>30 June 1938 ||
|-
| || 10 || <br/>12 May 1937 || <br/>1 December 1939 ||
|-
| || 12 || <br/>16 January 1939 || <br/>30 June 1941 ||
|-
| || 2 || <br/>6 October 1939 || <br/>1 August 1941 ||
|-
| || 77 || <br/>11 September 1940 || <br/>21 April 1944 || USS Drum was only boat actually commissioned before US Entry to WWII
|}
World War II
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|+World War II
!Class name !! width=8%|No. !! width=151|First ship laid down !! width=178|Last ship commissioned !! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
| || 120 || <br/>31 March 1942 || <br/>1 September 1948 || 62 cancelled
|-
| || 29 || , , , and <br/>8 February 1944 || <br/>10 February 1951 || 51 cancelled
|}
Cold War
Diesel-Electric Submarines (SSs, SSKs, and SSGs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="6" |Class Name
! colspan="2" |No.
! colspan="6" |First boat laid down
! colspan="8" |Last boat commissioned
! colspan="35" |Notes
!Silhouette/Image
|-
| colspan="6" |Barracuda
| colspan="2" |3
| colspan="6" |<br />1 July 1949
| colspan="8" |<br />11 January 1952
| colspan="35" |
|center|frameless
|-
| colspan="6" |
| colspan="2" |6
| colspan="6" |<br />18 April 1949
| colspan="8" |<br />21 November 1952
| colspan="35" |
|frameless
|-
| colspan="6" |
| colspan="2" |2
| colspan="6" |<br />1 July 1954
| colspan="8" |<br />30 August 1958
| colspan="35" |Regulus missile submarines
|frameless|235x235px
|-
| colspan="6" |
| colspan="2" |1
| colspan="6" |10 November 1954
| colspan="8" |20 October 1956
| colspan="35" |Unique submarine
|frameless
|-
| colspan="6" |
| colspan="2" |3
| colspan="6" |<br />18 May 1956
| colspan="8" |<br />15 October 1959
| colspan="35" |First production submarines with teardrop hull.<br />U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered submarines
|frameless
|}
Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class Name
!No.
!First boat laid down
!Last boat commissioned
!Notes
!Silhouette/Image
|-
|Nautilus
|1
|14 June 1952
|30 September 1954
|First nuclear submarine; hull design enlarged from fleet boat
|frameless
|-
|Seawolf
|1
|7 December 1953
|30 March 1957
|Unique submarine; liquid metal cooled (sodium) S2G reactor (replaced with a pressurized-water reactor in 1959)
|frameless|251x251px
|-
|
|4
|<br />21 July 1955
|<br />5 December 1959
|
|frameless|250x250px
|-
|
|6
|<br />29 May 1956
|<br />24 October 1961
|First nuclear submarine class with teardrop hull form. USS Scorpion lost at sea 1968.
|frameless|253x253px
|-
|Thresher/Permit
|14
|<br />28 May 1958
|<br />25 January 1968
|First class with bow sonar sphere. Known as Thresher class until the loss of the in 1963
|frameless|233x233px
|-
|
|1
|26 May 1958
|9 November 1960
|Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission
|frameless|240x240px
|-
|
|37
|<br />10 August 1963
|<br />16 August 1975
|Redesign of Thresher/Permit class using lessons learned from loss of Thresher.
|frameless|244x244px
|-
|
|1
|17 January 1966
|12 July 1969
|Unique submarine; natural circulation S5G reactor
|frameless|245x245px
|-
|
|1
|5 June 1971
|21 December 1974
|Unique submarine; turbo-electric transmission
|frameless
|-
|
|62
|<br />8 January 1972
|<br />13 September 1996
|
|frameless|242x242px
|-
|
|3
|<br />25 October 1989
|<br />19 February 2005
|Planned successor of Los Angeles class. High costs caused only three to be built.
|frameless
|}
Nuclear Cruise Missile Submarines (SSGNs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+Note: Several boats were converted into cruise missile submarines after construction; the USS Halibut was the only purpose built SSGN of the US Navy
! colspan="5" |Class Name
! colspan="2" |No.
! colspan="7" |First boat laid down
! colspan="9" |Last boat commissioned
! colspan="27" |Notes
!Picture/Silhouette
|-
| colspan="5" |
| colspan="2" |1
| colspan="7" |11 April 1957
| colspan="9" |4 January 1960
| colspan="27" |Unique submarine; Regulus missile submarine
|frameless
|}
Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class Name
!No.
!First boat laid down
!Last boat commissioned
!Notes
!Picture/Silhouette
|-
|
|5
|<br />1 November 1957
|<br />11 March 1961
|
|frameless|242x242px
|-
|
|5
|<br />14 September 1959
|<br />4 January 1963
|Ethan Allen was the only SSBN to fire live missile and detonate nuclear warhead at test range proving theory.
|frameless
|-
|
|9
|<br />17 January 1961
|<br />09 April 1964
|
|frameless
|-
|
|10
|<br />6 February 1962
|<br />19 December 1964
|
|frameless
|-
|
|12
|<br />25 May 1963
|<br />1 April 1967
|Redesigned using lessons learned from loss of Thresher.
|frameless
|-
|
|18
|<br />10 April 1976
|<br />6 September 1997
|
|frameless
|}
Deep-submergence vehicles (DSVs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class Name
!No.
!First boat laid down
!Last boat commissioned
!Notes
!Picture/Silhouette
|-
|Trieste class
|2
|Trieste (DSV-0)<br />1958
|Trieste II (DSV-1)<br />1969
|The Trieste was the first submarine which reached the Challenger Deep by Swiss Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh in 1960.
|frameless|242x242px
|-
|Alvin class
|4
|Alvin (DSV-2)<br />5 June 1964
|Nemo (DSV-5)<br />1970
|
|frameless|242x242px
|-
|NR-1
|1
|10 June 1967
|27 October 1969
|
|frameless|242x242px
|}
Miscellaneous Submarines (SSTs, SSRs, AGSSs & SSRNs)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class Name
!No.
!First boat laid down
!Last boat commissioned
!Notes
|-
|
|1
|15 March 1952
|6 December 1953
|Unique submarine; teardrop hull form; no weapons
|-
|
|2
|USS T-1, later <br />1 April 1952
|USS T-2, later <br />20 November 1953
|Training and experimental submarines
|-
|
|2
|<br />8 December 1953
|<br />25 August 1956
|Radar picket
|-
|
|1
|29 May 1956
|10 November 1959
|Unique submarine; Radar picket; Twin S4G Nuclear Reactors
|-
|
|1
|9 November 1962
|17 August 1968
|Unique submarine; research and development for deep diving technologies; last operational U.S. Navy diesel-electric submarine; Decommissioned 15 January 2007
|}
Post–Cold War
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|+Post–Cold War
!width=130|Class name !! width=8%|Number of boats !! width=208|First boat laid down !! width=208|Last boat commissioned !! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
| || 24 (of 66 planned) || <br/>2 September 1999 || <br>March 28, 2026 || Attack submarine.
|-
| || 12 (planned) || <br>(planned) || || Ballistic missile submarine
|}
See also
- Submarines in the United States Navy
- List of submarines of the United States Navy
- List of Gato class submarines
- List of Balao class submarines
- List of Tench class submarines
- List of Sturgeon class submarines
- List of Los Angeles class submarines
- List of most successful American submarines in World War II
- Allied submarines in the Pacific War
- List of submarines of the Second World War
- List of ship classes of the Second World War
- List of United States Navy ships
References
External links
- youtube.com USS Holland
- youtube.com Submarine #1